Many popular energy drinks on the market don't taste very good and are packed with sugar and carbs.
Energy drinks aren't the best solution to the underlying issue of lacking energy and drive, but if you do drink them, you may as well drink the best one on the market.
The ultimate energy drink, in a perfect world, would be super healthy and give a huge boost of energy. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world, so here are some of the best energy boosting drinks on the market, and some to avoid.
The previous king of caffeine was Mountain Dew Energy, but it was discontinued early in 2024. After it dropped the crown, who picked it up?
What is the Best Energy Drink?
Celsius is a splash of exotic flavors packed with 200mg of caffeine. At only 10 calories, zero sugar, and no carbs, this is a great replacement for the less healthy, poor tasting energy drinks that are so popular.
Celsius also contains B and C vitamins, chromium, green tea extract, and ginger root. For a 12 oz can, the vitality and metabolism boosting ingredients are impressive.
It comes in 3 forms:
- Celsius: 12oz can, 24 flavors, 200mg caffeine
- Celsius Essentials: 16oz can, 6 flavors, 270mg caffeine
- Celsius On-The-Go: Energy Powder (just add water), 9 flavors, 200mg caffeine
When choosing your Celsius flavor, pay attention to the labeling.
Celsius offers flavors with and without carbonation. Look for the word "Sparkling" on the can to ensure you get the carbonated flavor, or if carbonation isn't your thing, look for word "Non-Carbonated".
Every Celsius can displays these words just before the name of the flavor, such as "Sparkling Raspberry Peach" or "Non-Carbonated Peach Mango + Green Tea".
What is a good Energy Drink Alternative?
Yes, I know this is coffee, not an actual energy drink. However, if you want something healthier at the expense of taste, this is a great option. It still delivers a good energy boost with 250mg of caffeine.
It's gluten, lactose, and soy free, and has up to 80 calories, less than 1g of sugar, 3g of carbs, and 10g of protein.
It doesn't taste as good as the Celsius Energy drink to me, but it is a good alternative choice over most energy drinks. Unlike many energy drinks, I felt good after drinking this and the energy really lasted. I didn't get a sugar crash since it has almost no sugar!
It comes in a variety of flavors:
- Caramel
- Caramel Waffle
- Cinnamon Roll
- Hazelnut Latte
- Vanilla Latte
- Mocha
- Blueberry Muffin
- Peppermint Mocha Latte
What are the Worst Energy Drinks?
I felt I needed to try a variety of popular energy drinks in order to give the best advice. These are the ones that I would absolutely avoid.
Red Bull
Very high in sugar and calories. Taste is horrible. Heavy crash afterwards.
Bang
Taste is very strong, and way too sweet; so bad I couldn't finish it. Maybe too much caffeine for some people? (300mg)
Alani Nu
Similar to Bang, Alani Nu, is too sweet. It's like drinking skittles. It has Erythritol, 1g of sugar alcohol, too much sodium, much smaller amounts of vitamins than Celsius while also having a worse taste.